THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

April Fools' Day is on the first of April every year. It is a day when people can play tricks, practical jokes and hoaxes on each other. No one really knows the exact origin of this day. The writer Mark Twain famously said: “This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three-hundred and sixty-four days.” In some countries, you have until noon to play your jokes. If you play a trick on someone after midday, you are the April Fool. In other countries, April Fools' Day lasts the whole day. On this day, you never know what or who to believe. Even newspapers and television stations play April Fools' jokes on their readers and viewers. Sometimes people actually think the real news is an April Fools' joke.

Some of the most famous April Fools' jokes are quite amazing. My favourite happened in 1957. The BBC showed a documentary of people in Switzerland cutting spaghetti from spaghetti trees. Lots of people contacted the BBC asking how they could grow their own spaghetti trees! Another good one was the “left-handed burger” advertised by Burger King on April 1st, 1998. They said all of the juice would drip out of the right hand side of the burger. Many customers asked the Burger King staff for the traditional right-handed burger. Other classic jokes include the BBC’s 1965 news of “Smell-o-vision” and Google’s 2008 invitation for people to apply to be astronauts to live on the website’s new base on Mars. If you believe that, you’ll believe anything!

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.

people can play tricks, practical

a.

play your jokes

2

No one really knows the exact origin

b.

after midday

3.

you have until noon to

c.

jokes and hoaxes

4.

play a trick on someone

d.

readers and viewers

5.

you never know what or

e.

of this day

6.

play April Fools' jokes on their

f.

who to believe

Paragraph 2

1.

the most famous April Fools' jokes

a.

of people in Switzerland

2

The BBC showed a documentary

b.

“Smell-o-vision”

3.

Another good one was the

c.

you’ll believe anything

4.

the juice would drip out of the right

d.

“left-handed burger”

5.

BBC’s 1965 news of

e.

are quite amazing

6.

If you believe that,

f.

hand side of the burger

LISTENING GAP FILL

April Fools' Day _________________ April every year. It is a day when people can play tricks, practical jokes and hoaxes on each other. No one really knows _________________ this day. The writer Mark Twain famously said: “This is the day upon which we are reminded of _________________ other three-hundred and sixty-four days.” In some countries, you have until noon to play your jokes. If you play a trick on someone after midday, you are the April Fool. In other countries, April Fools' Day _________________. On this day, you never know what or who to believe. Even newspapers and television stations play April Fools' jokes on their readers and viewers. Sometimes people actually _________________ an April Fools' joke.

Some of the most famous April Fools' jokes _________________. My favourite happened in 1957. The BBC showed a documentary of people in Switzerland cutting spaghetti from spaghetti trees. Lots of people contacted the BBC _________________ grow their own spaghetti trees! Another _________________ “left-handed burger” advertised by Burger King on April 1st, 1998. They said all of the _________________ of the right hand side of the burger. Many customers asked the Burger King staff for the traditional right-handed burger. Other _________________ the BBC’s 1965 news of “Smell-o-vision” and Google’s 2008 invitation for people to apply to be astronauts to live on the website’s new base on Mars. If you believe that, _____________________!

WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL

Put the words into the gaps in the text.

April Fools' Day is on the __________ of April every year. It is a day when people can play tricks, practical jokes and hoaxes on __________ other. No one really knows the __________ origin of this day. The writer Mark Twain famously said: “This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three-hundred and sixty-four days.” In some countries, you have __________ noon to play your jokes. If you play a trick on someone after midday, you are the April Fool. In other countries, April Fools' Day __________ the whole day. On this day, you never know __________ or who to believe. Even newspapers and television stations play April Fools' jokes on their __________ and viewers. Sometimes people actually think the __________ news is an April Fools' joke.

untileachrealreadersfirstlastsexactwhat

Some of the most famous April Fools' jokes are __________ amazing. My favourite happened in 1957. The BBC showed a documentary of people in Switzerland __________ spaghetti from spaghetti trees. Lots of people contacted the BBC asking how they could __________ their own spaghetti trees! Another __________ one was the “left-handed burger” advertised by Burger King on April 1st, 1998. They said all of the __________ would drip out of the right hand side of the burger. Many customers asked the Burger King staff for the traditional right-handed burger. Other __________ jokes include the BBC’s 1965 news of “Smell-o-vision” and Google’s 2008 invitation for people to __________ to be astronauts to live on the website’s new base on Mars. If you believe that, you’ll believe __________!

juicecuttingapplyquitegoodanythinggrowclassic

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.

April Fools' Day is on the first of April every year. It is a day when people can play tricky / tricks, practical jokes and hoaxes on each / one other. No one really knows the exact origin / original of this day. The writer Mark Twain famously said: “This is the day upon which we are reminds / reminded of what we are on the other three-hundred and sixty-four days.” In some countries, you have until / by noon to play your jokes. If you play a trick on someone after midday, you are the April Fool / Foolish. In other countries, April Fools' Day lasts the whole day. On this day, you never know / knowing what or who to believe. Even newspapers and television stations play April Fools' jokes on their readers and viewing / viewers. Sometimes people actually think the real news is an April Fools' joke.

Some of the most famous April Fools' jokes are quite amazed / amazing. My favourite happened in 1957. The BBC showed a documentary of people in Switzerland cutting / cut spaghetti from spaghetti trees. Lots of / Loads people contacted the BBC asking how they could grow their own spaghetti trees! Another good won / one was the “left-handed burger” advertised by Burger King on April 1st, 1998. They said all of the juicy / juice would drip out of the right hand side of the burger. Many customers asked the Burger King staff / stuff for the traditional right-handed burger. Other classic jokes / joking include the BBC’s 1965 news of “Smell-o-vision” and Google’s 2008 invitation for people to apply / application to be astronauts to live on the website’s new base on Mars. If you believe that, you’ll believe anything!

MULTIPLE CHOICE

April Fools' Day is on the first of April every year. It is a day when people can play tricks, (1) ____ jokes and hoaxes on each other. No one really knows the exact (2) ____ of this day. The writer Mark Twain famously said: “This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three-hundred and sixty-four days.” In some countries, you have (3) ____ noon to play your jokes. If you play a trick on someone after midday, you are the April Fool. In other countries, April Fools' Day (4) ____ the whole day. On this day, you never know (5) ____ or who to believe. Even newspapers and television stations play April Fools' jokes on their readers and viewers. Sometimes people actually (6) ____ the real news is an April Fools' joke.

Some of the most famous April Fools' jokes are quite (7) ____. My favourite happened in 1957. The BBC showed a documentary of people in Switzerland cutting spaghetti from spaghetti trees. Lots of people (8) ____ the BBC asking how they could grow their own spaghetti trees! Another good one was the “left-handed burger” advertised by Burger King on April 1st, 1998. They said all of the (9) ____ would drip out of the right hand side of the burger. Many customers asked the Burger King staff for the (10) ____ right-handed burger. Other classic jokes include the BBC’s 1965 news of “Smell-o-vision” and Google’s 2008 invitation for people to (11) ____ to be astronauts to live on the website’s new (12) ____ on Mars. If you believe that, you’ll believe anything!

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.

(a)

practice

(b)

practices

(c)

practical

(d)

practicality

2.

(a)

original

(b)

origin

(c)

originality

(d)

originals

3.

(a)

by

(b)

since

(c)

up

(d)

until

4.

(a)

lasts

(b)

last

(c)

lastly

(d)

lasted

5.

(a)

what

(b)

where

(c)

whoever

(d)

that

6.

(a)

thinks

(b)

think

(c)

thinking

(d)

thinker

7.

(a)

amazed

(b)

amazement

(c)

amazing

(d)

amazes

8.

(a)

contracted

(b)

compacted

(c)

connected

(d)

contacted

9.

(a)

juicy

(b)

juicer

(c)

juiced

(d)

juice

10.

(a)

traditions

(b)

tradition

(c)

traditional

(d)

tradit.

11.

(a)

applies

(b)

apply

(c)

applicable

(d)

applied

12.

(a)

base

(b)

based

(c)

basing

(d)

baseline

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1

1.

accpatilr jokes

2.

the exact irngio of this day

3.

after yddiam

4.

altss the whole day

5.

who to eielvbe

6.

readers and virewse

Paragraph 2

7.

qeiut amazing

8.

people catdetocn the BBC

9.

all of the ecuij would drip out

10.

saliccs jokes

11.

invitation for people to paply to be astronauts

12.

you’ll believe gaitnyhn

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )

and viewers. Sometimes people actually think the real news is an April Fools' joke.

( )

documentary of people in Switzerland cutting spaghetti from spaghetti trees. Lots of people contacted the

( )

Some of the most famous April Fools' jokes are quite amazing. My favourite happened in 1957. The BBC showed a

( )

who to believe. Even newspapers and television stations play April Fools' jokes on their readers

( )

countries, you have until noon to play your jokes. If you play a trick on someone after midday,

( )

BBC asking how they could grow their own spaghetti trees! Another good one was the “left-handed burger” advertised

( )

jokes include the BBC’s 1965 news of “Smell-o-vision” and Google’s 2008 invitation for people to apply to

( )

be astronauts to live on the website’s new base on Mars. If you believe that, you’ll believe anything!

( 1 )

April Fools' Day is on the first of April every year. It is a day when people can play tricks, practical jokes and hoaxes

( )

you are the April Fool. In other countries, April Fools' Day lasts the whole day. On this day, you never know what or

( )

by Burger King on April 1st, 1998. They said all of the juice would drip out of the right hand side

( )

on each other. No one really knows the exact origin of this day. The writer Mark Twain famously said: “This is

( )

of the burger. Many customers asked the Burger King staff for the traditional right-handed burger. Other classic

( )

the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three-hundred and sixty-four days.” In some